I’m back!

For better or worse, I’m back. I had a busy two week break. Here’s what I learned (or was reminded) on my blogging vacation.

–Life goes on. Good or bad, it goes on. You can’t stop time.

–Life is simple. We make it complicated. Or is this just me?

–Your worth isn’t your output. You can pause without guilt.

–Actions and words matter. Honesty and Integrity matter. Truth matters.  

–It’s wise to live with passion, compassion, kindness, humor, and love.

–George Elliot was right. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” Each new day is a new opportunity.

–It’s not what happens to you. We all have highs and lows. What matters is how you react. Will you retaliate with anger? Or do you keep your honor and dignity in tact and overcome on the field of play?

–Keep smiling. It doesn’t change things, but it sure does make things more bearable.

–As much as I try for perfection, it really is for the birds. What’s more important is giving things your best shot. If you win, great. If you miss out, pick yourself up and try again. When you err, learn from your mistakes and move on. It’s better to enjoy the process. How many times have great athletes talked less about the miracle moment of hoisting the trophy — but instead about the day-to-day journey in reaching the mountaintop?

–Beauty is all around us. But first, let me keep it real. As I write this, it’s an absolute crummy day outside. It’s one of those ugly winter days that I hate. There’s muck and mud on the ground, left over from the salt trucks after a recent winter storm. There’s a drenching rain coming down. It’s just an ugly day. It would be depressing if I let it. But I close my eyes and look out again and I notice the raindrops dancing in the puddles. They’re like little goosebumps in the puddles, involuntarily contracting and pulsating. When I think of it like that, the day isn’t so crummy after all. It’s downright, beautiful.

–We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give to others. Give freely.

–Laugh. Laugh at yourself. Laugh with your friends. Just laugh. Laughter matters. Someone laughs at you, don’t sweat it. Laugh back. You’ll come out on top.

–Be you.

 English author, mathematician, and Anglican deacon Lewis Carroll described the purpose of life this way. “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.”

Now that was a productive two weeks. I’d love to hear what have you learned so far this year?

Images by Pexels.